Manufacture of pen points



.Fune 23,, 195386 G. EIARTOL. JR J MANUFACTURE OF PEN POINTS Filed bee. 51. 1936' ys'roR Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE MANUFACTURE OF PEN POINTS Application December=31, 1936, Serial No. 118,464 3 Claims. (or. 113-322) This invention relates to the manufacture of pen nibs or points, and the invention has particular reference to the provision of an open slot in the toe part of the pen.

The primary object of the invention is to simplify andv improve a fabrication method, providing for initial slitting of the toe of a pen to form nib parts, and subsequent opening of the slit to form aslot.

The invention constitutes an improvement on the process disclosed in, the-copending application of Lloyd S. Henwood, Serial No. 4,813, filed February 4, 1935, assigned to the assignee of this application.

The full nature of the'invention, and more specific objects and advantages will appearto better advantage from a consideration of the following description referring to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a stamped blank from which a pen may be formed in accordance with the process of this invention;

Figure 2 is an end view taken from the right of Figure l'but illustrating the blank after the performance of a bending operation hereinafter described; I

Figure -3 is an under-side view after the slitting operation;

Figure 4 is an under-side view of the blank as shown in Figure 3 following an additional step in the process;

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken as indicated by the section line 55 on Figure 4 and additionally showing portions of tools employed in the treatment of the blank; and

Figure 6is a top pen.

Referring first to Figure 1, the blank 1s preferably stamped out of suitable sheet metal stock and has a heel partl and a'toe part 8, the latter, if desired, being providedwith tabs adjacent the writing tip as shown at 9. The blank may also be pierced as at Ill adjacent the base of the toe part 8, although it. should'be understood that this piercing is not essential to the invention.

Following stamping, the tabs 9 are preferably bent along lines substantiallycoinciding with the marginal outline of the pen into approximately parallel and adjacent positions as shown at 90 in "(shown in Figure 3) the toe part of the pen is Figure. 2, and'lnthe next step of the process slit as at II," the slit being extended from the 'pierce'; hole It) to the writing tip of the pen between-the adjacent bent tabs 9a. This slitting may conveniently be performed by a shearing 0f the blank plan view of the completed.

operation which, for practical purposes, removes no metal. To open the slit and thus form a slot for improving ink flow from the region of the upper end of the slit or'of the pierce hole Ill (where this is employed) downwardly to the writing tip, the region of the pen adjacent-to and above the piercehole it is thinned by the action of cooperating die elements, this thinned region being indicated by the shaded area It. This thinning (particularly if the degree thereof is substantially uniform throughout the entire area H2, or if the area I2 is relatively restricted and not extended to the extreme heel end of the pen) has a tendency to open the slit ll into a slot which 1 is wider at the writing tip of the pen than in the region of the inner end of the slit.

In order to overcome this eifect, the present invention provides for thinning the metal of 'the two nibs parts formed at opposite sides of the 20 slit in regions such as indicated, for example, at

it in Figure 4. The result of this is to swing the two nib parts toward each other. This may be accomplished by the use of simple die press members including a block or anvil I (see Figure 5) 25 and cooperating relatively reciprocable forming members 15 arranged to strike the areas l3;

' Preferably, all of the forming tools, i. e., those for swaging or working the metal in region l2 as well as in regions i3-l3, are mounted and 30 operated simultaneously in a single press or equivalent machine, and from careful inspection of Figure 4 it will be seen that the result of this treatment is the production of a slot the edges of which may be slightly divergent from the pierce hole to a point intermediate the areas l3-l3, as shown at it; and the edges of which slot, asshown at H, are substantially parallel from the point intermediate regions l3l3 to the writing tip. If desired, the extent of-swaging in areas iii-l3 may be such as to cause the edges in the region Q l to converge again toward the tip. However, this may only be required with some types of pens, and in either event, after the. foreoing workin the. pen is raised, 1. e., bent to 5 rounded sha and during this opggation the nib parts are be t so as to bring the tips thereof adjacent to or in contact with each 'other and thus close the slot at the writing tip, as may clearly be seen from inspection of Figure 6 illustrating the pen in completed form. 1

The foregoing, I have found, constitutes a highly effective method of opening a slit to form a slot, which slot is closed at the-writing tip and not undulydivergent in any part thereof. This desirable result is also achieved with a'minimum of thinning of the metal of the pen in any one region.

I claim:-

I. In the manufacture of pens, the steps of forming a pen blank, slitting the toe of the blankto form nib parts, opening the slit to form a slot by thinning the metal of the blank in a zone located adjacent the inner end of the slit, and thinning the metal of the blank in two additional zones located one on each nib part intermediate the ends of the slit.

2. In the manufacture of pens, the steps of forming a pen blank, slitting the toeof the blank to form nib parts, opening the slit to form a slot by thinning the metal of the blank in a zone located adjacent the inner end of the slit, thinning the metal of the blank in two additional zones located one on each nib part intermediate the ends of the slit, the thinning being effected in a manner to produce a. substantially parallel edgedn slot in the region between the tip of the blank and said zones located on the nib parts, and thereafter bending the nib parts to close said slot at the tip of the pen.

*3. In the manufacture of pens, the steps of forming a pen blank, slitting the toe of the blank to form nib parts, opening the slit to form a slot by bodily displacing the nib parts from each other in the plane of the blank, and at least in part closing the slot toward the writing tip of the blankeby thinning the metal of the blank in -a region located adjacent the outer side edge of each nib part. GEORGE E. BARTOL, Ja. 

